Bessie Gianakos, nee, Zantiotis.

Bessie lives in Claremont, California, USA.

Bessie's Zantiotis heritage derives from The Vouno. "To" Vouno is a very small hamlet (of about 5-6 homes) which lies just out of Karavas on the Ayia Pelagia road.

She is not aware of her family "paruchoukli" or "nickname." However at least two Zantiotis "clans" lived "sto Vouno". One was the "Sarandakos", and the other was the "Kapsanithes".

Common first names of Zantiotithes who lived sto Vouno included, Theothoros, Dimitris, Sarandos, and Yannis.

Sarandakos parachoukli

Famous Sophios photograph with Matina "Sarandako" Comino (nee, Zantiotis) on donkey

Kalomira Krithary, one of the daughters of Pappa Vangelli, long standing priest from Karavas from the 1920's, married Sarandos Zantiotis (from the "Vouno" (Panagia Thespina)). (Parachoukli "Sarandakos".)

Pappa Vangelli's descendants


Other Zantiotis's, also lived at Ayia Anastassia, which again is a short way out of Karavas, but this time on the road to Potamos.

Are there other Zantiotis's in different parts of the world who derive from Ayia Anastasia?

I know of two Zantiotes families who do so.

Peter Zantiotes (Zantis), who married my first cousin Helen Levantis, who together ran a fruit shop in Goulburn, NSW, for a number of decades. Both are now deceased.

Peter Zantis as a young man, in unifrom

And Peter Zantiotes, who with wife Loula, ran the Busy Bee Cafe in Gunnedah, NSW. Peter is now deceased, but Loula still runs the business in Gunnedah.

Loula Zantiotis and the Busy Bee Cafe, Gunnedah, NSW

The one million drachma question is: does Bessie have Zantiotis relatives living in Australia?